The Trickster's Mistress Part 2: The Gathering Storm
A/N: This chapter may have some disturbing scenes. Please be advised.
There is always a battle for light and dark, good and evil. The struggle is always ongoing, amongst us, and within ourselves. Many times we find ourselves on the edge of the knife between the light and the dark before we pull ourselves back. When pushed too far into the abyss, can one truly come back to the light?
Not long after his brother and sister in law's deaths, Thor had gone into self-imposed exile. The former Asgardian king had lost all his family and could not consider ruling in such a state. After months dealing with his grief, Thor fell into a grave state at the loss of his family and did not know where to turn. His grief turned him into an aimless drunk on the streets of New York. Thankfully, Thor was not alone as he drunkenly wondered the streets.
"Thor?"
Thor, struggling to stand, turned to find a man in a blue costume and red cape, his brown hair flecked with grey. "Well, Strange Stephen! My friend! Where have you been?"
Strange turned his head in disgust. "In better parts than this. Where have you been, a sewer? What's that smell?"
Thor pulled a bottle from his pockets. "Oh, it's wonderful. It's called rum and I love it! Another!"
Strange snatched the bottle away from him. "I think you've had one too many, if that's even possible. You smell like a rat's a**."
Thor giggled. "You said a**. Is that allowed, wizard?"
Strange furrowed his brows. "I'm Master of the Mystic Arts, not Harry Potter, now shut up. You're coming with me."
Strange took the stumbling Thor back to his chambers on Bleeker Street. In a flash, Thor was in a bedroom and he nearly fell over.
"I hate when you do that," Thor said.
"Yeah, yeah," Strange said. "Thank me later when you wake up."
Thor collapsed on the bed. "You wizards never have any fun, do you?"
"Oh, having a drunk God of Thunder in my Sanctuary is all the fun I need tonight," Strange said. "What are you even doing here, Thor?"
Before Strange could get an answer, he was interrupted by the sound of snores like chainsaws.
"He even snores like thunder," Strange scoffed.
Thor woke up the next afternoon with his head feeling like it had been split by his ax.
"What did I do last night?" he grumbled.
"Oh, you're awake," Strange greeted.
Thor just greeted him with a grumble.
"Well, good morning to you, too," Strange laughed.
"I have a major headache right now. Don't be so cheery," Thor said.
"You? You didn't have to listen to thunder-like snores all night. No mystic arts can make up for that," Strange said.
"Well, I'm sorry to be an inconvenience," Thor said.
"Well, I was going to ask you before you drifted off last night, what are you doing here?" Strange asked. "Why are you not on New Asgard?"
"Loki and Brigid are dead," Thor said. "Brigid was hanged in Loki's place in Wakanda, and Loki..."
Thor's eyes filled with tears as he recounted his tale. "I found him with poison. He couldn't take the grief of losing Brigid, so he took his life. I could not rule so I left my rule to Valkyrie."
"Thor, Valkyrie is not in New Asgard," Strange said.
Thor wrinkled his brow. "What are you talking about? I left the throne to her."
Strange gave Thor a knowing look and Thor's blood boiled.
"Loki!" Thor cried. "He actually made me think he killed himself! That deceptive, slimy, b******!"
"I was hoping you would say that!"
"Aaah!" Thor cried at the voice.
Thor turned and found Valkyrie dressed in Midgardian clothes. She wore a black tee shirt with blue jeans, tall boots and a leather jacket.
"Was she here the whole time and you were just waiting for her to sneak up on me?" Thor said.
"Kinda, but that's half the story," Strange said.
"Your slippery little brother put a spell on me," Valkyrie said. "I wound up here not knowing who I am or where. Lucky for me, your friend Strange is a Magic Man himself."
"Strange, get me to New Asgard. I would have words with my brother, and I suspect, my sister-in-law," Thor said, rage in voice.
Strange paused and did not move.
"Why are we not going?" Thor asked.
"You're not gonna like what I have to say," Strange said.
"Just say it," Thor said.
"I haven't been able to see Loki or Brigid," Strange said.
Thor rolled his eyes. "Then they're using some magic. Let's go."
Strange rolled his eyes. "I just have a bad feeling about this."
Strange waved his hand and a magic portal appeared. "Asgard awaits."
"Valkyrie, Strange, come. I need to go kill my brother," Thor said.
An eerie aura surrounded New Asgard as Thor, Strange, and Valkyrie entered the small kingdom. Thor looked up and noticed the fallen buildings and burned buildings.
"What happened here? Everything is burned to a crisp," Thor said. "Where's Loki? Brigid?"
As the three companions delved further into the small kingdom, they noticed bodies of their fallen Asgardians across the pavement. Blood was splattered on the ground and the walls.
"Thor, whatever happened here, it looks like something bigger than you and your brother's little squabble," Valkyrie said.
"Who or what could have done this?" Thor asked.
"I don't know," Strange replied. "My Sorcerers have been keeping tabs on threats but we haven't seen anything like this."
"My God, the children!" Thor cried. "Where are my nieces and nephews? If Loki and Brigid are here, they would be here, too."
"We'll find them," Valkyrie said.
Thor, Strange, and Valkyrie spread out and searched the small kingdom. Using his cloak, Strange took to the skies to find the children as well as Brigid and Loki.
"Loki! Brigid!" Thor called. "Frigga! Thor! Bruce! Brother, call out to me!"
Despite Thor's desperate searches, there was no sign of Loki, Brigid, or the children. Although he was angry at his brother, Thor hoped in vain that this was again one of Loki's pranks.
Brother, please show yourself, Thor begged. I don't care if this is one of your tricks. Please, show yourself.
"Thor, Valkyrie!" Dr. Strange cried.
His heart doing somersaults, Thor ran forward to find Dr. Strange in the air.
"The children, I found them," he said.
Following Strange's lead, Thor and Valkyrie ran to the courtyard and the sight made them sick. Laid all about the courtyard were the bodies of six of Brigid and Loki's children. The children appeared to be sleeping, although their bodies were branded with wounds. Frigga lay a foot apart from her brothers, Bruce and Tony, who lay side by side. Next to them lay Fenrir, followed by Astrid and Thor. Thor shook with rage as he looked over the bodies of his fallen nieces and nephews.
"Whoever did this will die most painfully!" he said, his blood curdling.
"What kind of beast would kill children?" Valkyrie asked.
"Thor, I found him! I found Loki," Strange said.
Strange led Thor and Valkyrie to a wooded forest where they found Loki pinned to a tree by two daggers through his wrists, a rope around his neck. A third blade pinned Loki to the tree by his stomach. The sight of his bloodied brother made Thor want to vomit.
"Loki, no," Thor cried.
Desperately, Thor and Valkyrie freed him from the tree and laid him down as Thor laid his cape under his wounded brother's head.
"Strange, get over here!" he cried.
Strange raced to Thor's side where he knelt over the battered Loki. "He's alive."
"How?" Valkyrie asked.
"I don't care how," Thor said. "We need to heal him and we need to find Brigid!"
Suddenly, Loki gasped and spat up blood.
"Loki, shh, shh, it's me. It's Thor," Thor whispered, cradling his little brother. "It's alright, brother. You're safe."
"Brother," Loki said weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Thor smiled at his brother, taking his hand. "It's me, Loki. Try not to talk. You're safe."
"Brigid," Loki whispered, fighting to raise himself with feeble strength. "Brigid!"
"We will find her, brother," Thor said. "Please, rest."
"He...took her," Loki said. "He has her."
"Who, brother? Who did this to you?" Thor asked.
Before Loki could speak another word, he vomited blood before collapsing in Thor's arms.
A/N: And how's part two off to? Loki is in bad shape! As always, this is for my readers, reviewers, followers, favorites, etc. This story is for you and would be nothing without you! Enjoy part 2!